Apparatus for processing and preparing food products.



A. L. DUNCAN. APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AND PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Vii 'iNESS ES:

A. L. DUNCAN. APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AND PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS. APPLICATION 311.121) APR.18. 1913.

1,085,852. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Z SHEET 8-8 HEET 2 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

ARTHUR L. D U'NCAN, FRUITVALE, CALIFORNIA, A SSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES E. FORRY AND ONE-THIRD T0 EDWIN H. DUNCAN, BOTH OF FRUIT- VALE, CALIFORNIA.

' APPARATUS non PROCESSING- AND PmiPAmNG FOOD nonUo'rS.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 18, 1913. Serial No. 761,943.

. To all whom it may concern:

Processing and Preparing Food Products,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for processing and preparing food products, and particularly pertains to an apparatus for steam cooking canned fruits, vegetables, and the like. 7 7

It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus by means of which canned food products may be subjected to the cooking action'of steam for a predetermined length of time, either before or after sealing of the cans.

A further object is. to provide an appara-- tus of the above character by means of which a uniform cook may be obtained, and which is so constructed and arranged that the cans containing the food product, such as fruit or vegetables, may be delivered continuously thereto and discharged therefrom.

A further object is to provide 'a steam cooking apparatus which is simplein construction and efficient in operation and capable of being readilv assembled and taken apart.

' The invention primarily resides in a vertically arranged spiral runway connecting at its top with an internal spiral runway, means for feeding cans or the like to the bottom of the external spiral runway, means for advancing the cans up the external spiral and down the internalspiral, and means for removing the cans from the lower end of the internal spiral.

The invention further consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the in vention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on. the line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 6-7; ofrFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the deflector for transferringthe cans from the external spiral to-the internal spiral.

In the drawings, A represents the bed or base plate of the apparatus, which is formed with'a vertically extending hub portion 2,

' Patented Feb. 3,1914.

in which a vertical. shaft 3 is journaled.

Mounted on the base A and surrounding the shaft.3 is ,a cylinder 4, terminating in an open upper end at any suitable distance above the base A. Surrounding the cylinder 4 and concentric therewith is an intermediate cylinder 5, spaced a short distance from the cylinder 4 and surrounding the intermediate cylinder 5 is an outer cylinder 6 concentric with the cylinder 5 and spaced therefrom. The cylinders 5" and 6 are mounted in any suitable manner on the base A. The upper ends of the cylinders 4 and 5 are approximately in the same Plane, while the outer cylinder 6 projects above the upper ends of the cylinders 4 and 5 and is adapted to receive a cap or cover 7, which is designed to inclose the upper end of the outer cylinder 6, and is detachably secured thereto by clamps 8, or in any other suitable manner. The cover 7 is formed with a central hub portion 9, in which the upper end of the vertical shaft 3 is journaled. Mounted on the inner wall of the outer cylinder 6 and on the outer wall of the intermediate cylinder 5, are parallel spiral rails 10, which lead around the intermediate cylinder .5 froma point adjacent the base of the outer cylinder 6; the railslO on the cylinders 5 and. 6 being slightly spaced apart The lower ends of the spiral rails 10 terminateother containers are introduced into the' space between the outer cylinder 6 and the intermediate cylinder 5, as will later be described. The spiral rails 10 lead upward from the opening 11 in the space surrounding the intermediate cylinder '5, and terminate a short distance below the upper edge around the cylinder 4 in the space between the cylinders 4 and 5 terminate at the lower end of the cylinder 4 in the upper face of the base A diametrically opposite the lower terminations of the spiral rails 10 on a plane below the latter.- Formed in the cylinders 5 and 6, adjacent to the lower terminations of the spiral rails 12, are openings 13, through which the cans or containers are discharged, as will later be described.

Rigidly mounted on the upper portion of the shaft 3 is a horizontally extending disk or circular plate 14, which projects over the upper ends of the cylinders 4 and 5. Se-

curely mounted on the disk 14, adjacent its periphery and depending therefrom, is a series of vertical bars or fingers 15, which are arranged in two concentric rows; the inner row extending downwardly into the space between the inner cylinder 4 and the intermediate cylinder 5 between the parallel spiral rails 12, while the outer row extends downward into the space between the intermediate c linder 5 and the outer cylinder 6 between tlie spiral rails 10, as shown in Fig. 1. The fingers 15 are preferably formed of angle irons, so as to provide a V-shaped vertical channel on one side thereof.

The upper end of the intermediate cylinder. 5 is cut away at a point adjacent the intersection of the spiral rails 10 and 12, and

- a diagonal plate 16 connects with one side of the opening thus formed and extends at an angle partially across the space between the intermediate cylinder 5 and the outer cylinder 6. I

Pivotally mounted at 17 on the outer cylinder 6 is a gate 18, the outer edge of which closes against the outer end of the angular partition 16, as shown in Fig. 4; the gate 18 is normally retained in its closed position by means of a spring 19, wound on a stem 20, pivotally connected to the back of the gate 18; said spring bearing between a bracket or housing 21, mounted on the cylinder'6 and a collar 22 on the stem 20. The gate 18 and the partition 16 form a deflector for directing cans from the spiral rails 10 to the spiral rails 12 at their upper ends; the gate 18 being provided to permit the passage of the fingers 15 in the outer row through the deflector.

Mounted on the lower end of the shaft 3, under'the base A, is a toothed wheel 23 which meshes with a pinion 24 mounted on a stud shaft 25, supported in a suitable hearing on the base A, and carrying a bevel gear 26 on its lower end which meshes with a. bevel inion 27 on a drive shaft 28. Meshing with the .toothed wheel 23 is an idler pinion 29, also meshing with a toothed wheel 30 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 31, extending upward through a bearing formed on the base A; the shaft 31 having a horizontally disposed star wheel 32 rigidly mounted on its upper end. The outer periphery of the star wheel 32 extends into the opening 11 in the outer cylinder 6; the star wheel 32 being provided for the purpose of feeding cans or like articles into the space between the cylinders 5 and 6 in the manner commonly employed in can-handlingmachinery; Meshing with the toothed wheel 23,- onoosite the toothed wheel 30, is a toothed wheel 33, mounted on the lower end of a shaft 34, extending upward through the base A and having a horizontally disposed star wheel 35 on its upper end. The star wheel 35 extends through the openings 13 in the cylinders 5 and 6, and is provided for the purpose of removing the cans in the space between the cylinders 4 and 5.

In the operation of the invention, the materials to be cooked are placed in suitable cans, indicated at B in Figs. 2 and 3, which cans are fed to the star wheel 32 in any suitable manner. The shaft 28 on being rotated from any suitable source of power revolves the beveled pinions 27 and 26-, shaft 25, pinion 24, toothed wheel 23, idler pinion 29 and toothed wheels 30 and 33. The rotation of the toothed wheels 30 and 33 rotates the star wheels 32 and 35 through the shafts 31 and 34 in the direction of the arrows c in Fig. 3. The rotation of the toothed wheel 23 causes the shaft 3 to revolve and carry the disk ,or plate 14 therewith, thus causing the fingers 15 to travel in a circle between the spiral rails 10 and 12.- A can B being fed to the star wheel 32 is engaged by the latter and fed into the space between the cylinders 5 and 6; the star wheel 32 being so shaped and timed in relation to the travel of the fingers 15 as to introduce a can B into the space between the successive fingers 15 in such manner that each finger 15 will come in contact with a can as it is moved in front thereof b the star wheel 32. The lower ends of t e fingers 15, engaging the cansdelivered thereto by the star wheel 32, cause the cans to advance upwardly on the external spiral rails 10 until they reach the upper ends of the latter, whereupon the cans come in contact with a deflector 36, formed on the inner wall of the cylinder 6, immediately in front of the pivotal mounting 17 of the gate 18. The deflector 36 operates to move the can horizontally from in front of the finger 15 against the deflector plate 16 and out of the path of travel of the finger 15. The can is then engaged by a horizontal plate 37 carried by the fingers 15. A plate shown in Fig. 2. A plate-37, on engaging a can B at the upper end of the spiral rails I 10, causes the can to travel inwardly on to the upper end of the-spiral- 12 in front of the finger 15 on the inner row, which nger causes the can to advance downwardly on the spiral 12 to alpoint opposite the .openings 13 in the intermediate cylinder and the outer cylinder 6, as shown in Fig. 3. The can on reaching this point comes in contact with a deflector 38 and is fed to the periphratus by the star wheel 35.

To perform the cooking operation, steam is admitted into the spaces between the cylinders 4 and 5 and the cylinders 5 and 6 in any suitable manner, not necessary to be vhereshown; the steam forming the medium for cooking the contents of the cans B. By timing the rotation of the gears the length of time required for a can to pass through the apparatus may be varied to suit different conditions. By arranging the spiral tracks vertically, as described, the cans B may be passed through the apparatus either before or after being sealed; the cans B moving up and down the spiral rails 10 and 12 in either a vertical or horizontalposition. By pro-' the cans up and the other to carry the cans down, the apparatus may be rendered compact and a long distance of travel be obtained in a short space.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent is: v

1. In a processer, a casing, an inner andan outer spiral trackway within said casing, a series of vertically disposed fingers extending between the spiral rails of said trackway, means for propelling said fingers in a circular path of travel, means for delivering cans tothe lower end of the outer trackway in position to be engaged by the outer fingers to cause them to be advanced upward in the outer trackway, means for directing the cans from the outer trackway to the inner trackway into the path of travel of the inner fingers, said means including a deflector at the junction of the tracks, of the outer and inner series, whereby the cans may be caused to move to the lower end of the inner trackway, and means for removing the cans from said inner trackway.

2. In a cooking apparatus, a steam chamber having a removable cover,'spaced concentric cylinders interior to the outer cham ber and of a less height, a pair of verticallydisposed spiral trackways supported upon,

the cylinder and casing walls, one trackway being arranged within the other, a vertical shaft jour'naled axially in the steam chamber,

a series of depending fingers carried by the said shaft extending between the rails of said trackways and adapted to travel between said rails on the rotation of said shaft. toadvance cans up the outer trackway, a deflector located above the tops of the inner cylinders and plates connecting the outer and inner carryin fingers above said cylinders to automaticrflly transfer the cans from one trackway to the other.

3. In a cooking apparatus, a steam chamber, a pair of vertically disposed spiral trackways, one arranged within the other, a vertical shaft journaled axially in the steam chamber, a series of depending fingers carried by the said shaft extending between the rails of said trackways and adapted to travel between said rails on the rotation of said shaft to'advance the cans up the outer and down the inner trackway, a deflector and co-acting connecting plates between the outer and inner fingers for directing the cans from the upper end of the outer track to the inner track, a motor shaft and gears trans- -mitting motion to the vertical shaft, supplemental gears having vertical shafts ex tending zinough the base on opposite sides of the chamber, and star wheels carried thereby, one co-acting to deliver cans to the "outer track and the other to remove cans from the inner track.

viding different spiral rails, one to carry 4. In acooking apparatus, steam chamber, a pair of vertically disposed spiral trackways, one arranged Within the other, a

vertical shaft extending into the steam chamber, a series of depending fingers carried by said shaft and extending between the 'rails of said trackway and adapted to travel between said rails on the rotation of said shaft to advance cans up the outer trackway. and down the inner trackway, means for directing the cans from the upper end of the outer trackway to the inner trackway, consisting of a deflector plate mounted in the steam chamber for moving the cans out of the path of travel of one row of fingers and l a can-engaging plate carried by the fingers arranged to advance thecan in the path of travel of the inner row of fingers.

5. In a cooking apparatus, a steam chamber, a pair of vertically disposed spiral trackways, one arranged within the other, a vertical shaft extending into the steam chamber, a series of' depending fingers carried by said shaft and extending between the rails of said trackway and adapted to travel between said rails on the rotation ofsaid shaft to advance cans up the outer trackway and down the inner trackway, means for directing the cans from the upper end of the outer trackway to the inner track-.

way, consisting of a deflector plate mounted in the steam chamber for moving, the cans out of the path of travel of one row of fingers, a can-engaging plate carried by the fingers arranged to advance the can in the my hand in the presence of two subscribing path of travel of the inner row oii1 fingers, Witnesses. means for delivering t e cans to t e ower end of the outer trackway and means for ARTHUR DUNCAN 5 discharging the cans from the lower end of Witnesses:

the inner trackway. J OHN H. HERRING, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set W. W. HEALEY. 

